Tired

I am a night owl.  I work best when I get up late and go to bed late.  Bear is an early bird.  Very early on we came to an arrangement that meant that he could manage with me barely functional for the first few hours of his day.  I get everything sorted the night before.  I make sure uniform, books, schoolbag and any letters or payments are dealt with and set things out for breakfast.  In the mornings I stagger downstairs and sit sort of fester while he starts his day.  Bear has been known to leave homework until first thing of the morning it's due in, but that is between him and his conscience.  I have been firm and told him that getting homework done is up to him and if he doesn't do it, the consequences are on him.  It sort of helps that bear doesn't do breakfast.  I have begged, pleaded and occasionally sent him into school on a bowl of custard.  At the moment he is tucking in to breakfast bars.  They are not brilliant, with far too much sugar, but there is a hint here and there of nutrition in the oats and I'm just grateful that he will eat anything. 

Now that bear is getting the bus to high school, he gets up @ 5.45am (ie, fifteen minutes before he normally gets up).  I drag myself down soon afterwards.  Theoretically, everything is there.  He can sort himself out with food and drink and he doesn't need me.  I could, in theory, not get up.  It's not going to happen unless I am seriously poorly - just like most mums, I've got to try and be there for bear.  DH is being more heroic as he gets up a lot earlier than he needs to so that he can walk bear to the bus stop - at bear's request, I hasten to add - before going off to an insanely busy job.  I'm doing a lot less than many mums, but the early mornings are killing me.  I am nodding off as I type this. 

Bear is totally worth it.  He's apparently got a lot of points, which mean something in school and he is tremendously proud of it.  He has settled into High School as if he had been going there for years. 

Once I pass my driving test, I will be able to sleep in until 6.30, or maybe even as late as 7am.  My normal inclination would be to wake up sometime around midday, but 7am would be an improvement.  I had another lesson today and the instructor said that once I passed my test, I would be okay and that I would be a safe driver.  I had a few hiccups as it was my first lesson after a week or so as the cold has been awful and I didn't want to share it with my awesome instructor, but today I managed, and I swept around a roundabout like a boss!  I also overtook a cyclist and there were no casualties. 

Once I managed to crack getting an early night, I'll be fine.  Until then, well, here is an image from free-images.com which sums up my inclination.  I think I may get some brandy in and see if a tot will send me off to sleep.